The disclosures herein relate generally to computer diagnostic testing and more particularly to a method for limiting the duration of such diagnostic testing.
Computers may receive warning messages that one or more Enhanced Integrated Device Electronics (“EIDE”) hard drives in the computer may be running outside of normal operating range, indicating a hard drive failure may be impending. The Basic Input-Output System (“BIOS”) of some computers provides a further set of diagnostic tests on the computer's attached EIDE drive(s) during the Power On Self Test (“POST”) phase of the computer's power up process. The additional set of EIDE diagnostic tests could be prompted by a user request or could be initiated automatically, if necessary, by POST.
During the additional diagnostic testing, the BIOS executes tests that are integrated into the hard drive by the hard drive manufacturer. To avoid early termination of the testing, the power and reset buttons are disabled when the testing begins and re-enabled when the testing is complete. There is currently no limit on the length of time EIDE hard drive diagnostic testing may take; accordingly, the computer may remain locked for what is ultimately an unacceptable length of time while the requisite testing is conducted.
Therefore, what is needed is a method for limiting the duration of EIDE hard drive diagnostic testing.